Elysium - Becoming Shepard
by Ms Sticha
Summary: A damaged young woman forced into shore leave finds her strength. Exploring backstory at Elysium.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is my first attempt. Please let me know what you think.**

"This is why I hate taking shore leave" Shepard muttered to herself as she watched her crewmate Corporal Jenna Morgan turn into a giggling girl hanging helplessly on the neck of a local guy. Shepard had been 'strongly encouraged' to take the shore leave that she had been putting off, and Jenna had jumped at the chance to drag her to Elysium. It was every bit as beautiful as the travel vids and Jenna had promised, but she was only really comfortable on ships. She was a spacer - born and raised on alliance vessels, and all this fresh air and sunshine was hard to adjust to. As a result, she was now sitting under a giant umbrella in an uncomfortable lounge chair with the straps digging in to her exposed flesh. _Way too exposed_ she thought with a wince. The bathing suit Jenna had talked her into was little more than straps of red shiny fabric that left little to the imagination and did nothing to protect her fair skin.

"That color looks great with your complexion and you have the body to pull it off. You have to get it!" Jenna squealed at the shop. Shepard agreed, feeling it would go well with the alter-ego she was creating for the leave. She had already changed her bright red hair to a golden blonde for the trip, so the red bikini complemented rather than clashed with the rest of her appearance. That was the only way she was willing to agree to this trip at all: she would pretend she was someone else. Jenna loved the idea, seeing it as a way to live out some fantasy, while Shepard just wanted to be able to leave whatever happened while on leave behind completely. It was a lot harder for a one-night-stand to find you if you gave them a fake name and changed your appearance. It was also easier to keep feelings from being involved.

Now Shepard was sitting away from the pool watching all their efforts go down the drain. Jenna clearly didn't understand the concept of one night stands. They local guys they had picked up at a bar their first night on the planet had been a constant presence from that point on. _I should probably learn their names_ she thought, but then decided she didn't care enough to follow through. With a dramatic sigh, she casually added her empty glass to the startling large collection of empty containers next to her. The guys kept buying rounds trying to get both girls drunk, but Shepard's biotic metabolism kept her disappointingly sober. She had kept pace with the others, afraid of being found out and called a freak_. It wouldn't be the first time_ she thought bitterly. Her stomach flipped unsettlingly as she remembered the way her last relationship ended with that word being spit at her. She grabbed a new drink from the cooler and cracked it open. She had nothing to worry about with these guys - they never even noticed and that was the way she liked it. Besides, they both seemed to have given up on her and were vying for Jenna's attention. To be fair, she _had_ nearly broken the tall guy's nose when he tried to carry her to the pool. However, this was after he had pulled her on his lap several times and then announced he was going to get her wet one way or another. He had it coming.

Shepard laid her head back and closed her eyes, her mind wandering to that horrible event on her last real shore leave. She unsuccessfully tried to chase away the image of her ex's face contorted with fear after she accidentally flared in a moment of passion. She had told Simon about her condition, she was sure of it. He assured her he loved her no matter what, but actually witnessing it was too much for him. He jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom, his clothes in his arms. She ran after him only to find the door between them locked. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you. I was totally in control!" she had cried through the door. The only answer she got was his retching. He was so disgusted by her he got physically ill, and that hurt her like she had never been hurt before. The sobs started deep in her gut. She tried to push them down, but they were stronger than she was. " I would never hurt you" was all she could get out between the sobs. It seemed like forever before the door finally opened. Simon was fully dressed in his alliance blues, his eyes hard and cold on her fragile naked form silently shaking with quiet sobs. "Get out you freak. I never want to see you again." He left their shared hotel room while she dressed and gathered her stuff and was gone before he came back. She had never been so devastated and humiliated in her life, so she pulled a few strings to get transport to her mother's ship - just to put as much space between them as possible until he cooled down. Hannah Shepard met her at the airlock with a bowl of ice cream and a stiff drink, her motherly instinct telling her all she needed to know. The next day she found out he had requested transfer, and it was granted. Unfortunately for him, it was Shepard's father who handled the transfer, putting her now-ex as security for a small research facility deep in the Skillian Verge. Simon got his wish - he never saw her again. Not long after the transfer the facility was attacked by Blue Suns and there were no survivors.

Shepard was thankful she was wearing the ridiculously large sunglasses she picked up with the bathing suit. They hid the tears gathering in her eyes, threatening to spill over. Finishing her drink in one long gulp she reached over and opened another without a second thought. Her eyes drifted over to her friend playing in the pool with the two guys, and she couldn't help but feel jealous. Jenna didn't keep up with the charade because she didn't have to. She could let people get close, and they wanted to. Shepard's head started swimming with petty thoughts and her skin started to tingle in response. Her biotics had been pent up for so long they were looking for any crack in her control to get out, and the combination of jealousy and alcohol seemed like a good start. "About time the booze kicked in" she muttered, leaning back again. Fortunately, it was a sunny day so the light glow didn't attract any attention. She took a deep breath trying to will the shrieks and giggles lull her into relaxation. It didn't work; there was something wrong that she just couldn't quite put her finger on and she couldn't concentrate enough to figure it out.

Everything suddenly snapped into focus. The shrieks - they were real. Adrenaline pumped through her system, destroying the slight effects of alcohol and leaving her sharp and focused - her training kicking in like second nature.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, what's wrong with Shana?"

"Who's Shana?" Jenna giggled as she pulled back enough to look into her companion's face. She frowned as she had to drop her arms from around his neck to follow his gaze, finally landing on Shepard's still form.

"Oh yeah, _Shana_." Jenna mentally chastised herself for forgetting the code-name she had unwittingly saddled Shepard with. She had to scramble when she started to refer to her friend by her actual name, and Shana was the first 'SH' name that came to mind. Now she had almost blown it yet again.

"Maybe she passed out." Jenna shrugged her tan shoulders_. Or maybe she is pretending to sleep to avoid your less than charming friend _she added mentally.

Shepard jumped up from the lounge chair in one fluid movement; the straps of the chair held on to her bare skin until they could stretch no further, leaving angry red marks in a pattern down her body that created a chaotic pattern with the shiny red lines of her suit, but it did not slow her down. She would've appeared as a blur to anyone watching, her naturally fast reflexes honed to perfection; her sudden stillness even more disconcerting. Head cocked to one side, Shepard listened intently, trying to separate the sounds that alarmed her so from the rest of the normal chaos of Elysium.

Jenna's dark brown eyes widened briefly in a flash of panic. _Something must be going on if Shepard is on alert_ she thought with a chill, trying desperately to pull herself into sobriety.

"Maybe she is trying to find the stick to pull out of her ass."

Both Jenna and her companion Robby pulled their gaze away from Shepard long enough to throw withering glares at the taller man. Robby pulled away from Jenna, waded over to his friend, and immediately smacked him upside the head. Jenna could here fragments of their hushed conversation (mainly a string of expletives), as she turned focus back on her friend.

A troubled look danced across Shepard's face, and suddenly she was deftly pulling her long blonde hair back into a tight ponytail as her eyes scanned her surroundings. Her bright green eyes focused sharply when they landed on the bartender on the far edge of the pool, using the lull in orders to chop some exotic fruits. She was off in a flash, her lithe legs pushing her forward faster than should've been possible.

"Shepard! What the hell is going on?" Jenna yelled after her crewmate . She was pulling herself out of the pool to follow when she heard a man yelp. Shepard had reached the bar, grabbed the knife, and took off.

_Please let me be overreacting_ Shepard kept repeating over and over in her head. She knew that wasn't the case, which is why she stole the knife; that was all she had available. _I've made due with less_ she reminded herself. Plus, the guard station for the resort was only a few blocks away - they would have a small armory_. And that is where the last yells came from_. Her every instinct was screaming at her. The yells were sudden, but had real surprise and were cut off too soon. They weren't quite like the terrified shrieks she had heard originally, but it was enough to set her on edge.

There was clearly something wrong: people in pure panic pushed at her as she raced towards her destination. She had to struggle against the current of bodies, holding the knife against her thigh to prevent a tragic accident.

Shepard slowed as she neared a corner, ducking behind a refuse bin to get a glimpse of the surroundings rather than plowing into the open blindly. The once bustling street in front of her was desolate. Suddenly a small noise came from behind her. She spun on her heels while maintaining her crouch, knife pulled up level with her shoulder in a backward grip.

Jenna managed to pull up short, giving Shepard enough time to register her appearance. Her eyes were wide when they caught the glint of the metal.

"What the hell is going on, Shepard?" she whispered hoarsely. Shepard held up a hand for silence and gestured for Jenna to listen around the corner. As they were crouching they could hear shuffling and slamming coming from the guard station followed by some rough growls.

Shepard looked over her shoulder and held up three fingers; Jenna nodded. She leaned forward to peer around the bin again, doing her best to ignore the discomfort from her suit slipping into areas they were only suppose to cover. There were shadows moving a short distance off. They were jerky, like there was a scuffle going on. She strained a bit to get a better view.

Heavy footfalls came up on them from behind rapidly, the movement in the guard station stilled. Jenna spun around to see the two local guys running awkwardly towards them, faces red with exertion. She tried to whisper to them to quiet down, but they either couldn't hear her or chose to ignore her. Robby knelt by Jenna, eyes searching for an answers. Jayden, the taller of the two, leered at the extra expanse of skin Shepard's suit slip afforded before his eyes settled on the knife.

"What the hell is going on?" Jayden yelled, all pretenses out the door. His eyes narrowed on Shepard's backside, still in an awkward crouch, before spinning to look at Jenna. "I heard you call her Shepard. Who the hell are you both, really?" The men and Jenna were looking at one another, Shepard momentarily forgotten.

A heavy boot stepped into view in front of Shepard. She was still crouched down at an awkward angle with the knife in her hand supporting her weight. She had just enough time to start to pull back slightly when the boot swung towards her, connecting with her right eyebrow. Stars swam in her vision as she arced her arm out wildly. The sudden yelp told her she connected, but she couldn't focus through the blood spilling into her eye.

Both men froze, unable to comprehend the sudden turn of events - a strangled cry escaping from one of them. Jenna pulled both men behind her in one swift motion, using the momentum to spring her forward onto the man hovering over Shepard. She swung hard at the man, catching him completely off guard; her reflexes were slowed by the alcohol in her system, but her aim was still true. Her fist connected with his face, the crunch of broken bones followed by the sick thud of his head hitting concrete.

An oily laugh spilled from the doorway next to them - the guard station. A hand shot from the darkness, grabbing Jenna by her long dark hair and pulling her down roughly. There was a loud snap as she fell, her arm twisting unnaturally, but she refused to give her attacker the satisfaction of a reaction. Four cold black eyes peered out at them, his small mouth pulled into a pointy sneer as he stepped into the light. _Batarians - probably a slave grab_ Shepard thought to herself.

"You two will fetch a small fortune." The guttural voice confirmed her suspicions. " Of course, I will have to make sure you don't stay so... feisty."

Shepard pulled her arm across her brow, giving her a moment of clear vision. That was all she needed.

"Like hell you are!" she growled.

Partially blinded by blood once again, she followed her instincts. She jumped up and twisted, bringing her arm down in a sharp jab; the knife nearly separating the batarian's head from body in one swipe. Ignoring the pain blossoming in her lower abdomen, she twisted her grip on the knife and threw it at the movement in the shadows behind the still-standing torso. A surprised yelp was the only noise before both bodies hit the floor. It was over in a matter of seconds.

**Please let me know what you think.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for all the follows. It encourages me to keep going. As always, reviews are greatly appreciated!**

Shepard stood and surveyed the carnage around them. Honestly, the scene wasn't too gruesome. The human man that had kicked Shepard was laying next to the refuse bin, a small pool of blood collected in the cracks of the pavement under his head, but his chest was rising and falling with shallow breaths. The batarian had not been as fortunate, his nearly-headless body crumpled just inside the doorway. A disgusting mix of fluids were pooled under the corpse. There seemed to be too much for one body; some must've been runoff from the figure partially pinned to the wall with the knife. Jenna was exactly where she had fallen, shaking violently but not making a sound. Shepard noticed a bright red pool collecting between them and had to fight to keep her voice steady.

"Jenna, are you ok?" Silence stretched between them for a few beats, so she reached out to gently touch her friend's shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" Jenna's voice was completely unfamiliar, with an almost feral hiss to it.

"Hey, it's me, everything's over. Here, let me help you."

Shepard absently wiped her bloody brow then started to squat next to her friend and crewmate, reaching to pull the dark hair away from Jenna's still downturned face when she suddenly froze. A sharp pain shot through her lower abdomen when she squatted, then a strap of Shepard's red bathing suit gave with a tiny pop and the whole thing loosened on her.

She saw stars once again and couldn't suppress a gasp before she lost her balance and sat down roughly, the abrupt jolt causing more pain and quite a bit of embarrassment; her bathing suit gave up completely and fell away from her form in strips of fabric. Clearly it was not designed for battle situations. The string of words falling from Shepard's lips would've made a drunk krogan blush... if that was possible.

Something, possibly the colorful language, pulled Jenna back from the edge. She looked over at Shepard through a curtain of dark hair, her face too pale and eyes too wide, but a smile played at her lips.

"You say the prettiest things." Jenna's voice was thin from pain, but she was smiling. "And I see you decided you were overdressed for the situation, too."

"Laugh it up. I think you picked that suit for me on purpose."

Jenna started to laugh, but it died in her throat once she took in the whole scene.

"Shepard, you're hurt."

"It really isn't that bad, just a split brow. Head wounds just bleed like mad so it looks worse than it is." She absently wiped her face again to get the blood out of her eye.

"Don't move." The words had the bark of an order, so Shepard obeyed. Jenna took a sharp breath as her left arm twisted and dangled as she stood, but she held Shepard firmly in her gaze. "Most guard stations have plenty of medical supplies for emergencies. I will be right back."

"Fine. Try to find something I can cover up with, though. I am feeling rather exposed over here."

Jenna reappeared less than a minute later, an omni tool and medical supplies in her one good arm and a shirt draped around her neck.

"You're going to have to help me get this 'tool on my wrist. I will take it from there."

"How 'bout you let me fix your arm first? Then you will have both hands to do what you need to."

"I have to take care of you first. Now DON'T MOVE!" Something in Jenna's voice concerned Shepard, so she tried to lighten the mood.

"Can I at least put the shirt on first? I would like to keep a shred of dignity if possible."

Jenna chuckled a bit. "You never had any to begin with. Now get this 'tool on me."

"Is that what you said last night?" Shepard started to laugh, but ended up hissing in pain. She helped slide the tool on Jenna's wrist, noting how much blood was on both her hands. _Too much_ she thought to herself. Something was definitely wrong. Jenna had her field medic face on and didn't even acknowledge the last comment.

Jenna gently eased Shepard back to laying and started scanning, but she was hovering over her abdomen. After a few tense moments the muscles in Jenna's body relaxed ever so slightly and she drew a shaky breath.

"You are one lucky woman, Shepard." Shepard quirked an eyebrow at her, but didn't say anything.

"That bastard came damn close to gutting you. There is a gash on your hip here" Shepard gasped as Jenna probed it slightly before sealing it. "His blade hit the bone and it must've slowed the blow."

Jenna's hand moved towards the center of Shepard's abdomen, where the main wound must've been. Her hand was so low Shepard felt herself blush. _I'm laying topless in the middle of the street and _this_ is what embarrasses me _she thought to herself.

"This one is deep, but he struck at an awkward angle. He missed almost everything in there. You will need to be fixed up properly, but this will do for now."

Jenna tended to her lower abdomen for several more minutes before moving up to her head and started running another scan.

"Well I'll be damned." A small smile returned to Jenna's lips. "Looks like there is something up there after all." She giggled a bit as she tossed the shirt at Shepard.

Once Shepard was patched up the two women made their way into the guard station. Jenna still needed her arm tended to, but they were too exposed out in the open. Shepard noticed the way Jenna's eyes got too wide when they fell on the batarian as they walked by his corpse and thought back to her reaction when he first appeared. It was all normal behavior for a civilian, but not for a trained alliance soldier. She thought back to a drunken admission Jenna whispered shortly after they first met, and she felt horrible for what she was about to do.

"Tell me about what happened on Mindoir."

Jenna flinched as if she had been struck. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I only know what my mom and her crew told me, but they wanted to spare me the worst of it... which was almost all of it." Shepard took the lull to pop Jenna's arm back into place - a simple dislocation was easy to fix. "I need to know as much as I can about that so I can help prevent that from happening here. I won't let that happen again. I promise."

Jenna studied her face through tears before nodding.

"It was pure chaos. We heard screams before my brother came running in to the house. He and my dad had been out in the fields..." Her voice trailed off and her eyes stared into nothingness. She sat in stillness reliving it for several minutes before shaking her head hard, as if to shake away the images. When she started again her voice had no inflection at all, as if she were just reading a passage in front of her.

"They took out all security with small teams and infiltrated the community without drawing any attention. These small teams stayed under the radar until the ships were secure to land, then they coordinated their attacks. The attack seems to have started towards the landing area and made its way across the community too fast for us to gather resistance."

Shepard nodded once. "Then we know what to expect."

Shepard stood looking at her friend in the quiet for a moment. As if in response, a small squawk came from the earpiece Shepard had removed from the human male before tossing him into the cell.


	4. Chapter 4

**I struggled a bit with the chapter so I hope it worked out. The real fun starts in the next one. Thanks for the follows, and favorites. Any review would be greatly appreciated.**

Shepard struggled to not gag as she brought the human slaver's com earpiece up to her ear. It was an old outdated model covered in some crusty substance she decided was best to remain a mystery. There was a conversation already underway.

"_...docking bay completely secured, all hostiles terminated." _The voice had to belong to a human male.

"_Excellent. Shadow One and Shadow Two: Status." _

Silence stretched for several beats before the first voice responded. "_Shadow Two may not have reached their target. Shadow One should've been secure by now, though_."

_"I'll give them both fifteen more minutes. If we don't hear anything by then you are to send some of your men to investigate. I won't turn back at this point. Failure is not an option, do you understand?"_

_"Yes sir!"_

There was a growl from the second voice before a small click indicated he severed communications. Shepard jumped up and ran to the lockers in the guard station, yelling over her shoulder as she tore through the small area.

"Jenna, there is another target. We have to figure out what it is and try to alert them."

She methodically went through each locker looking for armor that wouldn't fall off her, but it appeared almost everyone on staff was a giant male. _Almost_ she thought to herself, really regretting the actions she would have to take. One of the guards' bodies they had discovered in the back of the station was a woman. Her throat had been slit, so her armor was undamaged beyond the blood-saturated fabric. Shepard swallowed hard as she gently released the seals and slid the armor off the woman's still form. Her hands shook as she pulled it over her mostly nude form, only the dark shirt and unraveled suit between her body and the soiled armor. She had to shake the guilt and focus. It wasn't a perfect fit, but it would do.

She secured as many weapons as possible to her body and gathered all the ammo available. When she walked back into the main area, she had discovered her friend hadn't moved. Shepard stopped for a brief second, unsure how to proceed. Everything had affected Jenna harder than expected. Slowly, she registered Shepard's return and looked over at her through a curtain of dark hair.

"So much for knights in shining armor, eh?" Jenna was clearly trying to keep it light, but there was a weariness to her voice that caught Shepard off-guard.

"Well, this armor has seen better days, but I am going to do my best, Jen."

Jenna shook her head and finally looked Shepard in the eye. Tears were threatening to spill, but she was keeping them back for the moment. Shepard froze in confusion, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. She went over their conversation in her head to see if she missed something, but it just wasn't clicking.

The sound of soft footfalls approaching completely pushed the confusion out of Shepard's mind. Someone was clearly _trying_ to not be heard. Panic shot through Shepard, making her fingers tingle with the unintentional small flare of dark energy. She glanced at her friend out of the corner of her eye, but to her relief Jenna hadn't noticed.

_It hasn't been 15 minutes yet. Oh god, they got antsy and came snooping early. I should've been ready!_ Shepard chastised herself. She quietly pulled the pistol off her hip and aimed it at the open door. An obviously old and well-used gun poked through the doorway, shaking slightly. _Amateur_ Shepard thought as she kept her aim steady. Dark hair and one dark eye slid into view. Shepard tightened her grip on the trigger, waiting for the man to expose just a fraction of an inch more so she could hit the head dead center when she froze. She would recognize that dazed look anywhere.

"Sh...Shana?" Robby's wild eyes danced over the two bodies still laying near the entrance before falling back on Shepard. "Where... where's Jenna? Is she..." he looked over at the bodies again and gulped, unable to finish.

A sob from behind Shepard answered his question, and he ran over. Shepard decided to give them a bit of privacy by going to clean up the bodies by the door. The other slavers would come looking for them sooner or later, and she wanted to make them work for it. Their time wasn't up yet, but it would be soon. She was almost finished when it hit her: _Oh shit, the other target _she thought to herself.

"Robby, are there any other guard stations?" He looked at her blankly and shook his head. "There is another target, and it must be towards the center or opposite edge of the settlement. What would it be? We are almost out of time!" She hadn't been able to keep the edge out of her voice.

"Um... there is an Alliance recruitment center on the opposite side of the resort area, but they don't actually do anything security-wise." He shook his head, unsure. "I can't think of anything else."

"Jenna, get them on the line now!" she whispered harshly. Jenna immediately jumped up and started hailing the center, once again Corporal Morgan, Alliance marine. Apparently the silly local boy empowered her.

Shepard paced, impatient with the time it was taking to get a response. She started to lose hope when she saw Jenna straighten and bark out "Corporal Morgan, Alliance..." This was the exact moment the slaver's earpiece sprang to life again and first voice from earlier hissed into her ear.

"_Damn it, stop messing around. Jend'Al, I know you've reached your target. I also know you blew the whole 'not drawing attention' bit. I heard the screams from here. Get your asses on the line so the boss will lay off of me. And that goes for you and your team too, Mitchens. It doesn't take that long to reach the Alliance outpost. Get it done and report back in."_

Jenna was still communicating with the Alliance station, and Robby was hovering closely behind her. Shepard felt renewed urgency after hearing this last transmission, and she did the only thing she could think of: she rushed into the back area of the guard station to find anything they could use. It looked like things were about to get ugly, and fast. It was stocked well for an average security detail, but they were not equipped for full-scale war. Panic was creating a solid rock in the pit of Shepard's stomach, and it was only made worse by the bile sloshing around from her biotic metabolism yelling at her.

Shepard froze outside the little kitchenette and sighed. She felt like a grave robber, and it was only heightened by the blood splatters along the wall, but she would be no good later if she didn't take care of herself now. She grabbed a sandwich out of the fridge and forced herself to eat it. As an afterthought she stuffed a few nutrient bars into her pockets on her way back up front. It was silent, so Jenna must've finished her conversation and Shepard needed any news she could get. She was not prepared for what she saw when she rounded the corner, though: two guns were trained on Jenna and Robby.

"Jesus, Jayden! Put the gun down." Robby was quietly pleading with his friend. _My failed one-night-stand_ Shepard thought with a grimace.

Jayden's gun spun on Shepard as soon as he noticed her in the room. Her hands were both up and obviously empty. There was no reason to start a fight here when something much worse was breathing down their necks.

"These were the women I told you about. They caused this here." Jayden waved his gun broadly to indicate the blood splatters. He was speaking to an older man wearing an Alliance uniform. "I don't know who they are for sure, but the brunette called the blonde Shepard when she didn't think I was listening." His thin face was pulled into a sneer.

"Shepard?" The older man huffed a laugh, lowered his gun, and put a hand on Jayden's gun forcing it down. "You're Hannah's kid, aren't you?" His words slurred together so badly it almost sounded like another language. Shepard nodded once she was able to work out what he had said.

"I thought you looked familiar, but the blonde hair threw me off." He looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place him; he probably served with her mother some point. Then it hit her: Corporal Dumas from the SSV Einstein. That also explained why he was on this planet piss drunk in the middle of the afternoon. He was there for Mindoir.

"Dumas! It has been too long..." Shepard started to make her way over to the old family friend when she was blocked by young man who clearly was not going to let this go.

"They attacked the people in this station, I saw it! They had to be behind the people that attacked the recruitment..." Jayden was yelling again.

"You were attacked? What happened?" Shepard interrupted Jayden's rant, physically pushing him out of the way to get close to the old soldier.

"This kid ran in screaming about an attack. We had just enough time to grab some gear before several men slipped in. We would've been caught with our pants down without his warning. As it is, we lost one man."

Jenna stepped up to confirm this based on her conversation when Shepard's hand shot up to stop her. Her other hand covered her ear.

_"Shadow One and Shadow Two, Status."_ It was the same oily voice from the first conversation. He let a few moments pass in silence before continuing. _"Jedar, you know what to do. I want you to maintain the docking area and find out what the hell happened to the shadow teams. We land in 15, and you better be ready. Any failure will be on your head."_

Shepard looked back up. All eyes were on her.

"Get ready guys. It is about to get ugly. They are sending someone to find out what happened to the infiltration teams, and the real fun starts in 15."


	5. Chapter 5

**Ok, so I lied. The big stuff will be next chapter. A big Thank you to Jules Hawk and idiot of wanderlust for your encouragement. I hope this lives up to your expectations.**

"We only have 15 minutes?" Both local men paled, reminding Shepard of the fact that they were both inexperienced civilians. Dumas must've had the same thought. He pulled a shaky hand over his weathered face before looking up.

"What are we facing here?"

"Best case scenario: simple slave grab. My gut tells me this is more, though. Either way, the top man in the communications I've heard sounds human, but there seems to be batarian involvement. We have to assume they will have a heavy presence."

Dumas's face paled dangerously, a sheen of sweat appearing on his brow, but he regained his composure almost immediately. With a brisk nod he turned away and got to work updating the remainder of the Alliance presence in the vicinity of the impending threat.

Jenna was the only person yet to speak. Shepard was not surprised, but this did concern her. She walked over to her friend and knelt down by her, one hand on her back and the other lifting her chin so their eyes could meet. The look of pure terror that swam in her comrade's dark eyes made her ache with pity.

"I... I can't do it Shep. I can't face them again." Jenna's eyes started to fill with tears and she turned her face away with shame, her body wracked with tremors. It was a few moments before Jenna could find her voice again. "Please don't make me do it." Her voice was just a whisper.

Shepard stilled for half a beat, a plan coalescing in her mind. She stood and spun on one heel to face the men, making the local guys jump with her sudden movements; only Dumas's eyes betrayed his surprise.

"Is there an emergency alert system?"

All three men nodded mutely; Dumas led her over to a small console. She studied it for a few seconds before she found what she wanted. She looked over her shoulders to the small group.

"I need you guys to cover the door. Someone will be heading this way from the docking area, and we need to neutralize them before they get a chance to reach us. Before they can report back, hopefully."

They all nodded their understanding. Dumas readied a sniper rifle and walked to cover by the door. Shepard turned her attention to the other two men.

"Go find some armor and suit up. You need to be as protected as possible. There is plenty to choose from in those lockers."

Both men followed her orders immediately, so she turned her focus back to the console in front of her. A few keystrokes later a small camera raised and sprung to life. Shepard wiped at her face self-consciously, suddenly remembering how she must look. She pushed that aside, tucked stray blonde hairs behind her ears, took a steadying breath and began speaking directly to the camera.

"This is Corporal Shepard of the Alliance Marines. Elysium is facing an immediate threat and needs her citizens. We will be strongest if we work together. I am setting up a secure location at the center of the development and will have a marine trained in field medics stationed there. All citizens unable to fight should make their way there. There is safety in numbers, so please do not hole up alone." Shepard glanced at her friend off-camera to see her reaction to this news. The gratitude practically radiated off Jenna. Robby took this cue and began contacting staff at the resort to coordinate accordingly. Emboldened, she continued her address.

"Those of you able and willing to join the resistance, please make your way to the guard station. Bring any arms you have at your disposal. A member of the Alliance will be present to direct you to an appropriate location based on your skills. " She pointedly looked at the old Alliance soldier off camera. His eyes were trained on the approach from the docking area, but he nodded once in acknowledgement.

"We have managed to repel small attacks designed to weaken us for this major push. We have the advantage of awareness and surprise. Our enemy does not know we are prepared for them. There is Alliance support en route, so we just need to hold out until they can arrive." The sound of two shots in rapid succession distracted her, making her briefly lose her train of thought. Shepard took a deep breath and looked down for just one moment. When she looked back up her green eyes shone with determination and pride.

"I have faith in the strength of this community. Elysium was founded by a hero. We can take this opportunity to prove that we are all heroes. The galaxy will be watching. Let's send a message to those who use fear as a weapon that we will not be pushed around!" With that she pushed the button to end recording. The alert was already replaying on Robby's open omni tool, having been programmed to play on a loop until manually stopped. Shepard caught a glimpse of her image calling the citizens to arms and was horrified of her appearance. She looked like she had already been through war; blood had dried along the side of her face and one brow was puffy and angry. _Well, at least they won't doubt me_ she thought to herself before mentally chastising herself for vanity in such a dire situation.

The sound of one more shot brought her attention back to the old Alliance soldier. He was reloading his sniper rifle with ease, despite his less-than-sober state and clammy skin.

"Caught three trying to sneak up so far. All three have been neutralized."

"Good job Dumas. I am going to be sending Corporal Morgan and Robby into the resort area. Cover them as they clear out."

"Yes ma'am. And might I add, that was one hell of a speech. You do your mom proud." Dumas didn't look away from his task. A slight grin dancing on his face was the only indication Shepard hadn't imagined the compliment.

Jenna rushed up to Shepard. She had several hastily-gathered supplies in her arms, which she handed off to her male companion. The tears were still dancing in Jenna's eyes, but the fear wasn't there any longer. She pulled Shepard into a brief, but strong hug.

"Thank you. I will make sure nothing happens to those innocent people counting on me." She pulled back, dark eyes searching Shepard's face. "Promise to be careful. And send any injured my way." With that she turned and left, Robby right behind her with his gun raised.

_"Goyne, Debusky, come in." _The earpiece had sprung to life again. The voice belonged to the man securing the docks - _Jedar_, she remembered. Silence was the only response, and Shepard couldn't help but grin to herself a bit.

_"All teams: pull back. Someone is picking off our guys. Fall back to the docks and wait for reinforcements."_ Jedar sounded frantic. _Good. He should be_ Shepard thought, a predatory grin spreading across her lips.

"Dumas, they are pulling back." He gave one curt nod in acknowledgement before lowering his sniper, clearly still on alert.

A few people in Alliance armor approached cautiously, and Dumas waved them in. To everyone's surprise, several humans, three turians, and an asari followed closely behind. That was a good sign.

"Alright everybody. We only have a few more minutes to prepare. The attack is going to come from the docking area. It is in enemy control, but that won't be a hindrance: there will be a natural bottleneck funneling them in through that one entrance. Grab what you can and head out. We need to set up barricades and cover to pick them off as they come through. Move out!"


	6. Chapter 6

**The battle didn't end up fitting into one chapter, so here is part one. Please let me know what you think (I am slightly nervous).**

Barricades had been set up with time to spare, thanks in part to the biotic heavy lifting of several Asari who had made their way to the guard station. Shepard was pleasantly surprised at the sheer number of volunteers - human and alien alike - who showed up to aid the resistance. Everyone with military training was positioned along the strategically placed barricades. There was no easy way to communicate between positions aside from yells or messages on 'tools, so Shepard wanted to make sure everyone on the front lines was capable of making battle decisions without direct supervision.

Dumas had been left behind at the guard station. Shepard told him it was to direct anyone else who showed up, which was technically true, but there was more to it: she had honestly questioned his state of mind. He had been efficient with the sniper, but all the targets had been human. If her suspicions were correct, there would be a fair number of Batarians coming at them. He had been through Mindoir just like Jenna and he also seemed to be still affected. He had held up so far, but she didn't want to push him to the point he snapped.

Shepard had left him with instructions to send the highly qualified individuals to the various groups along the front lines. Everyone else was to be a barrier between the main action and the people seeking refuge at the resort. That was the only way to keep as many civilians safe as possible, and she desperately hoped they would not be forced into action. This plan was tenuous at best, and she knew it.

Shepard was crouched in the cover behind the barricade directly facing the docks. She couldn't figure out why everyone was looking to a corporal as the de facto leader, but she decided she would everything within her power to live up to the expectations. Placing herself where all eyes could see her was part of that. Ensuring the safety of the local guy who insisted on being front and center was another part, which is why Jayden was currently sitting next to her. _The only reason_ she clarified to herself. This guy was harder to shake than a case of Scale-Itch - not that she knew from experience. She began to think of the horror stories she heard in basic and giggled despite herself.

"What's so damn funny?" Jayden still had quite an attitude towards Shepard, and he wasn't bothering to hide it.

"Scale-Itch," Shepard answered with a shrug, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. Jayden stared at her in confusion, but the turian on her right barked a sudden laugh.

"That's not what I heard." He was shaking his head. Shepard was not very familiar with turians, but he appeared to be rather amused. _Those stories must've been told in every basic; a way to scare the newbies_ she thought with another chuckle. She was about to ask the turian for his version when a slight noise caught her attention: there were ships approaching. It was no wonder Mindoir fell so easily; she almost missed it and she knew it was coming.

Shepard popped up and signaled everyone to be on alert. They were to hold fire, drawing them in before releasing a barrage on Shepard's signal. After one curt nod she dropped back down and readied herself.

"All right guys, it's show time!" Her green eyes were glistening with adrenaline and determination as she looked around at everyone behind her barricade.

_"Landing party, be on alert. Shadow teams One and Two have not reported in and someone took out my men I sent to investigate." _ Shepard swore silently to herself. She knew Jedar would still be an issue, and he proved her right.

_"I wouldn't worry too much about that landing party. They will be no match for our numbers. Proceed as usual." _ The oily voice Jedar referred to as 'the boss' didn't seem to concerned. _His hubris is going to be his downfall_ Shepard thought with a predatory grin.

The ragtag group of humans and aliens along the front line held their position with patience. The invaders walked right by the barricades set up along the sides without so much as a glance. It wasn't until they were nearing Shepard's position that they slowed. The batarian on point raised his hand towards the com in his ear, but he never made it. A single shot caught him directly between his four eyes, shattering his face shield in the process.

The resistance team sprung into action immediately while Shepard took aim at a second target, dropping him with one shot as well. Screams from the slavers mingled with the sounds of gunfire. The invading troops had been caught with their pants down. Even with the warning from Jedar, almost half the initial wave had fallen before the slavers started to return fire. The erratic placement of the barricades seemed to confuse the surviving force, so almost all shots were wildly off. This gave the resistance the opportunity to pick them off.

A new wave approached as the first wave fell completely; there was no break in the battle. This continued for wave after wave. So far each small group of the resistance had managed to hold their own, but the ferocity of the battle was starting to wear on them. Sudden swears could be heard occasionally between the gunfire. The turian on her right yelled and stumbled, having apparently been hit, but he jumped back up immediately. Shepard took in the scene while she dropped two more men making their way towards one of the side barricades. She recognized the markings on the second body's armor, and her heart sunk.

"We are dealing with pirates too, guys." She popped her head back up long enough to shoot another batarian through the eyes and then dropped back.

"And some batarian warlords too, based on that armor. Stay sharp."

The sheer number of troops throwing themselves through the docking entrance was overwhelming. The meager resistance Shepard managed to gather had been skilled, but they were outnumbered greatly. Just like a beast from ancient myth, it seemed like two mercs sprung up for every one they dropped.

Shepard dropped back down to reload, wiped the sweat from her face and winced. The salt in her sweat stung the angry gash in her eyebrow. It was impossible to tell how long they had been in position, but the sun was not being kind to her spacer skin. The light pressure of her hand made her skin ache; she was going to be badly burnt if this lasted much longer - well, her face would. The rest would still be ghostly pale, _and wouldn't that be sexy _she thought to herself. Seriousness settled over her as she admitted the situation to herself. _Well, this can't last much longer at the pace I'm going_ she realized; she was starting to run low on ammo, even with timing her shots for maximum advantage.

_"Failure is not an option! Get your asses in there and wipe them out. There are too many of you to fail." _The oily voice grated her nerves but the words scared her. They had been holding back.

Shepard popped up and unloaded on a new wave tumbling through the docking entrance. The corpses of the fallen mercs were causing their comrades to stumble occasionally, allowing her to take a few more out before they regained their footing. Before she dropped back behind cover she saw something arc through the air and land behind the barricade to her front right.

Shepard squeezed her eyes shut, mustering up the nerve to do what she knew she must. In the back of her mind she heard her father's gruff voice. _This is a gift, not a curse. You were born with this for a reason. A good soldier uses every advantage they have, and you have a hidden advantage most humans don't. Don't squander it. _That had been part of a lecture he had leveled at her when she refused to use her biotics after Simon. As usual, he had been right; and as usual, she had been too stubborn to admit it. If she was going to be the good soldier these people needed - _her_ people, she had to use every advantage she had. A loud explosion made her jump: the grenade must've exploded. She swallowed the nausea creeping up her throat and snapped her eyes open, blue swirling over the green of her irises.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks again for all the reviews. It really encourages me to keep going. I hope this lives up to expectations!**

Jayden glanced over at Shepard and gasped when he saw the dark energy dancing over her skin.

"You're one of those freaks!" he spit at her in a harsh whisper. She barely even looked in his direction as she shoved the assault rifle that had been on her back into his hands.

"Yeah, well this freak is going to save your life, and theirs too if I can manage." She gestured over to the cloud where the grenade just exploded. "And I will find a way to manage it."

"Cover me!" Shepard shouted over at the turian on her right. He had been managing to hold his own despite his injuries, so she trusted her back to him. She glanced back to Jayden for one brief moment.

"And if you shoot me, I swear I will kick your ass before I kill you." Jayden's face took on a green tinge at that comment, which pleased Shepard more than it should've. With that, she leapt over the barricade and ran towards the chaos caused by the explosion.

The enemy knew they had caused a chink in the armor, and they were moving fast to exploit it. Several armored combatants were rushing towards the smoking area where the barricade had been. It was impossible to see if the barricade - or the people behind it - still stood, but Shepard knew that the enemy could not be allowed to breach the defenses.

Shepard gathered dark energy within her, feeling it tickle along her skin before sending it out at the closest merc with a sloppy twist of her hand. A second later he was sailing directly towards her._ Oh god, that was supposed to be a throw, not a pull_ she thought as her eyes grew wide with momentary panic. A burst of shots from her nine o'clock dropped the batarian before he reached her. _I really should've practiced more_ she swore at herself. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Jayden give her a barely perceptible nod.

Shepard pushed forward towards the thick smoke, which was finally starting to dissipate. Her heart skipped a beat when she noticed a faint blue sphere crackling within the chaos - survivors. Her determination renewed, she started biotically lifting and throwing everything in her path without breaking stride, confident in her rag-tag team to take care of them for her. Within a matter of seconds only one krogan stood between her and the resistance team huddled under the biotic dome. The asari at the center stood tall, arms wide above her head, but she was starting to shake from the exertion. Behind her laid a human woman bleeding heavily and a human male trying to attend to her.

Shepard hit the krogan with a biotic lift, but she was too out of practice to manage one strong enough for his mass; she only succeeded in lifting his weapon from his hands. _That's a start_ she thought as she threw a warp at him. His armor started to creak and groan, but he did not fall. Shepard slid along the pavement on one hip before popping up between the krogan and the survivors. She threw up a mediocre barrier and yelled over her shoulder.

"GO!" The asari dropped her sphere and knelt down to help the man gather the woman up and start running.

"Get her to the medic in the secure loc... UGH"

Something hit Shepard hard, knocking her back several yards and sending her gun spinning away from her. It took several seconds for her to catch her breath, but she didn't get the chance to stand. A hand grabbed her by the front of her armor and lifted her up. The krogan had charged and now had her dangling. An arrogant grin spread across his scarred face. She had a second to notice him pull his head back before he swung it forward. She managed to twist slightly, but it only served to give him direct access to her swollen brow. The inflamed skin busted open like an over-ripe melon, blood immediately obscuring her vision once again. Without thinking, she gathered dark energy along her arm and struck out with a hard right hook, connecting right under his eye. A sickening crack echoed with the contact and she could see part of his face distort, caving under the contact; a sharp pain screamed up her arm in answer. He dropped her immediately. A heartbeat later he dropped at her feet, a single bullet wound finishing the job.

"I thought you could use a bit of help, kid." Dumas switched from his sniper to a shotgun as he jogged towards Shepard, two asari directly behind him. Shepard pulled an arm across her face to clear away the mix of sweat and blood making her eyes burn. She studied the three new arrivals for a brief moment before addressing them.

"Do you think the four of us can hold this position? The barricade is dust, but we can take turns holding a barrier." They all looked at one another for a brief moment. One of the asari - the one who was holding the biotic sphere before, Shepard suddenly realized - spoke up.

"We will do what we must."

The other asari, clad in a revealing dancer outfit, immediately engulfed them in a strong biotic dome. Taking that as a cue, the other three jumped into action. The first asari conjured a singularity in the middle of the carnage, dragging in several mercs. People stationed along the other barricades picked them off while they swirled helplessly. Shepard threw warps at heavily armored combatants and Dumas picked them off once they were weakened.

This combination worked well for them for awhile, but the enemy started to notice their pattern and changed their tactics. Smaller and less armored attackers used their larger and heavier comrades to skirt the singularities, the larger mass too much for the swirls. Shepard threw a strong warp at one such large krogan out of frustration, but he jumped out of the path. Time seemed to slow down as she watched it continue directly towards an empty singularity, and her stomach dropped. She had no idea what to expect when they collided, but she was afraid of the results.

A large explosion erupted when the two biotic attacks collided, a shockwave rippling out and knocking the enemy in the immediate vicinity off balance. Shepard and the asari both froze momentarily before looking at one another with wide eyes. A feral grin spread across Shepard's face.

"This is going to be fun." Her green eyes danced in the dimming light. The two asari next to her grinned in return and Dumas barked a deep laugh.

"At least we'll go out with a bang, eh?" His speech was crisp, all traces of the slur completely gone. There was also a fire and mirth to his voice that hadn't been there before. Shepard couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"We aren't going anywhere, Dumas. We've got this."

The two asari at the ruined barricade traded tasks; the dancer threw out a powerful singularity as the other one created a fresh barrier. Shepard carefully aimed another warp at the churning blue energy and the ensuing explosion tore through several more troops. The few other biotics among the resistance didn't need any instruction: biotic explosions rocked everything within the attack zone. Everyone else took the opportunity to pick off the enemy while they staggered.

The resistance kept up the pressure as the sun set, but they were not equipped for a night battle. Within a matter of minutes the non-biotics had mere seconds to aim in the flash of the biotic explosions. To make matters worse, the biotics were beginning to tire. They were a capable bunch, but it would only be a matter of time before the enemy gained on them.

Shepard noticed her two asari companions were struggling to maintain a weak barrier. She was a trained soldier; she knew how desperate the situation was becoming. They had to maintain this position for the safety and security of Elysium. She fished in one of the compartment of the armor and pulled out the two energy bars she had grabbed from the station.

"Take a break and refuel. I've got the barrier." Shepard threw the bars to the closest asari and took a deep breath.

Shepard had been using her left hand exclusively since the run-in with the krogan. The pain she felt with that punch guaranteed that she dislocated her wrist at best, but several broken bones in her hand and arm were more likely. Unfortunately, she would need to use both arms to maintain a proper barrier, especially since the glow of the barrier was like a beacon to the enemy - the only distinct target in the darkness.

Shepard strode to the center of the flickering biotic dome, planted her feet firmly in a wide stance, and gathered all her energy. Her face was a mask of fierce determination, hiding any doubts and fear lurking underneath the surface. A strong biotic barrier enveloped the weaker existing one as Shepard threw her arms out in a guttural yell. The dark energy danced along her skin and she realized with a small shock that she would do anything in her power to protect every life possible.

Maintaining the barrier was more difficult than she had imagined. It was beyond anything she had ever attempted, but she could not fail. Her knees were trembling from the effort, but she grit her teeth and pushed harder. The base of Shepard's neck started growing uncomfortably warm, her underused amp was now being pushed to its limits. Sweat mixed with the blood on her face creating rust colored streams that burned her eyes, but she would not ease up. All eyes were on her as the leader, and Shepard vowed to not show any weakness.


	8. Chapter 8

**This one was a real struggle for me. I hope it holds up. Let me know, so I can adjust accordingly. And once again, a big thank you to all the people who followed this story and left reviews. It really helps me keep going.**

Night had completely descended on Elysium, and it was both beautiful and horrifying. The complete darkness allowed the stars to shine splendidly, reminding Shepard of the views from space - her real home. It also hid the approaching enemy, making their task exponentially more difficult. All power to the embattled district had been cut, either purposefully by the invading forces or by the fight itself, but the result was the same: the invaders and the resistance were shrouded in complete darkness. The moonless sky offered no additional illumination, so everyone had to rely on the flashes accompanying gunfire and biotics to see their targets. The additional stress was wearing on the already exhausted fighters.

It was impossible to tell how long they had been battling. Elysium's day was several hours longer than Earth's to begin with, and now they didn't have the moving shadows to mark the passage of time. They only had their exhaustion and the clicks of empty weapons to tell them they had been at this too long and time was almost out for them.

"Any word yet, Dumas?" Shepard had leaned close to the old soldier to keep their discussion as private as possible.

"Still no word. Communications went down completely right before the ground forces rolled in. They are probably jamming them." His gruff voice was lowered to a whisper.

Shepard let that information sink in while she considered the situation carefully. She was finding it increasingly difficult to focus, most of her energy going towards maintaining the barrier. All of her senses were being affected by the physical strain, but she knew she had to hold. The two asari to her right were struggling to even keep themselves upright; they were in no shape to hold the barricade. Shepard finally managed to find both her voice and the question she so desperately needed the answer to.

"You are positive the Alliance was en route? That help is on the way?"

His answer was lost in another burst of gunfire. The bullets ricocheted off the barrier with small blue sparks pulling a gasp from Shepard's cracked lips, but it did not fall. The sweat and blood that had been freely pouring down her body had long since gelled in the cool air making the armor stick to her body, but she no longer noticed it. She _did_ notice the new warmth running from her nose, though. _A nose bleed at this point is a very bad sign_, she thought dismally. Dumas returned fire, the short and concise blasts finding their targets in the darkness before repeating his answer.

"Affirmative. I spoke with Hackett directly. He assured me help was on the way."

"Then we just need to hold on until they arrive." Shepard had been so quiet Dumas could barely hear her, even leaned in like he was. It seemed like she was speaking more to herself than him.

The sounds of battle were interrupted by long periods of silence, both sides struggling to keep going. Traditional tactics were no longer an option, as it was nearly impossible to see the targets and ammo was nearly spent. The sound of approaching footfalls signaling another wave broke the silence just enough to draw Dumas's attention. He swung his weapon around and pulled the trigger, but the only response was a soft click of an empty cartridge.

"Shit. I may as well throw the damn gun at them now."

Shepard tried to look the old soldier in the eyes, to offer a bit of reassurance, but was terrified when she realized her vision was tunneling. She could only make out a small portion of his nose clearly, everything else fading to black around the edges. _Looks like this is it_ she thought bitterly, but she refused to give up. _I am going to make them work for every inch_. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, forcing all her remaining energy into the barrier and ignored the dangerous signs all around her.

A sudden explosion rocked them violently, the resulting bright orange flames illuminating the battlefield like the midday sun. Shepard's eyes flew open as another explosion erupted, emanating from the docking area. The barrier fizzled out without her undivided attention, but it didn't matter: all enemy eyes were on the new front of the war.

Time seemed to freeze in the moments after the first set of explosions. Nobody on the ground moved, their eyes locked on the chaos taking place just out of view. Shepard took in the spectacle in the flickering orange glow; the flames and panicked yells in the distance the only assurance that it was not a figment of her desperate imagination. She was having a difficult time processing exactly what was happening, her mind foggy from exertion, but she knew they still had to hold their position. They were not in the clear quite yet.

Another series of explosions sent small hot debris raining down on them, thick clouds of smoke billowing from the docking area and blotting out some of the light from the fires. Everything took on an eerie, nightmarish glow. The invading forces started stumbling around the combat zone in clear panic, tripping over the bodies of their fallen comrades. Several turned to face the resistance fighters behind the barricades, a look of grim determination on their faces.

"Don't let them past!" Shepard barked quick commands to all her troops within earshot.

"We have their balls against the wall. We just need to hold them."

Her shouts attracted the attention of the enemy. It was suddenly clear she was leading the resistance, and they looked intent on quieting her. Fortunately, her team was just as intent on taking the mercs down; they threw everything they had at the foes. Weak biotics, bullets, and even a few heavy rocks knocked most of the invading forces back. A batarian managed to break free from the pack and was almost on Shepard's position, a wicked-looking bade held in his right hand and a dangerous gleam in his four eyes. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized she wouldn't be able to get out of the way in time, her body too exhausted to react. The blade came at her in a vicious swipe, but he had miscalculated the distance and narrowly missed her. Moving purely on instinct and training, she struck out at his extended arm and encircled his wrist with her left hand. There was a wet crack and the blade hit the ground with a clatter, but it didn't stop him. She was caught off guard when the batarian's left hand swung around and caught her in the mouth, sending her reeling backward with stars in her eyes and blood filling her mouth. A moment later he unexpectedly fell to the ground, a large mass on his back. She tried to process what was going on while the sound of thick thuds came from in front of her.

"He's dead. Son, you killed him." Dumas was bent down in front of Shepard, blocking her view. She couldn't help but gasp when Dumas stepped aside: Jayden was on the batarian's back, repeatedly slamming the now caved-in face into the ground. She and Dumas exchanged worried glances before he pulled the young man off the dead alien.

A deep guttural voice yelled for a retreat, apparently deciding to cut their losses. The few remaining mercs turned and ran for the docking area at full speed. The resistance force let them go, too tired and ill-equipped to give chase. They were all surprised when the mercs were cut down before reaching their target.

"Hold your fire!" Shepard yelled out to both the resistance team and the group responsible for the fall of the last mercs. _We didn't come this far to be cut down by friendly fire_ she added internally.

"Hold your positions!" There was no guarantee this force was friendly, so she made no move and instructed her people to do the same. There was nothing to do now but wait.

Moments later a small group pushed through the docking entrance into the besieged district, flashlights combing over the scene. They all held their breath as the group approached, ready to do whatever the situation deemed necessary.

"Damn it, get us some real light out here!" The man's voice held an edge to it, but Shepard couldn't help but grin. She would recognize that voice anywhere.

Less than a minute later, a bright light filled the impromptu battlefield. Shepard was blinking her eyes furiously, trying to adjust her vision, but the speed this order was carried out only verified what she already knew. She snapped to attention with a stiff salute as she saw the blurry image of a man approach her.

" You are hereby relieved, Corporal Shepard." He returned her a salute with one of his own.

"About time you made it, sir." Shepard tried to grin, but her face was too wounded and swollen to pull it off.

"Looks like you held up pretty well without us." His dark eyes studied her face with obvious concern before continuing. "You look like hell, kid."

"What can I say? I still look better than you, Anderson."

They both laughed together, the relief freeing them from decorum.

"It looks like the Alliance owes you another shore leave." He looked at the carnage surrounding them, shaking his head.

"Don't you dare! I will never forgive you. " She shrieked after him.


	9. Chapter 9

**I guess I wasn't quite done with this one. Let me know what you think.**

The battle for Elysium continued long after the ground war ended; bright flashes and distant explosions high above them were evidence of that. Fortunately, the resistance team on the ground was relieved of any further duty. Their battle was finished; they had already surpassed any and all expectations. The debrief after the attack on Elysium has been fast and chaotic since it involved so many non-alliance, but Anderson managed to pull it off. Shepard stood tall and proud next to her team throughout the debrief despite her injuries. Her borrowed armor was hot and stuck to her body uncomfortably once she was out of the cool night air, but she ignored it. It was much harder to ignore the occasional bright flashes in her eyes and ringing in her ears, but she was determined to make sure the volunteers received proper recommendations for their heroic act. Sheer stubbornness kept her going, but even a will as strong as Shepard's can only do so much. The room started to darken and Anderson's voice seemed to come from far away as he uttered the word 'dismissed'. That was the last thing she remembered.

Shepard slowly struggled to pull herself into wakefulness, feeling both well-rested and exhausted at the same time_. I'll just stretch a bit, try to get some blood flowing. That should help me wake up_ she thought, her mind still cloudy with sleep. Sharp pain shot through her with the smallest movement, her eyes shot open in response. Well, they tried - only one succeeded. She pushed the panic back down as she analyzed the situation. Although she couldn't see out of her left eye, Shepard could feel her eyelashes brush against something as she opened and closed it - so it must've been covered. And then she remembered being kicked in the face and then having that krogan head-butt the wound back open.

"I wish that son of a pyjak was still alive so I could kill him again" she muttered to herself. A deep laugh reverberated around the sterile hospital walls, causing her to flare unintentionally with shock. A burning pain radiated from the back of her head in response, causing her to hiss.

"You should lay off the biotics for a bit, kid. You have a nasty concussion and your amp got quite the workout. There was a lot of swelling for the doctors to take care of." Shepard knew that voice anywhere.

"Anderson! How long have I been out?"

He stood so she could see his dark features against the sterile white background of the hospital room. He offered her a comforting smile, but his eyes still held a touch of concern.

"Almost three days now. Most of that time was medically induced to give your brain some time to heal. Fortunately, you heal fast. They sent for me when they decided to wake you." He studied her intently before continuing. "You gave us all quite a scare. It wasn't until after you lost consciousness that we discovered you had lost a lot of blood. The armor you were wearing hid the wound in your abdomen."

"Corporal Morgan sealed the wound with Medi-gel." Shepard scrunched her brows in thought causing small lines across her sunburned face.

"That she did, but it ruptured back open, most likely from a blunt force. Your body eventually clotted it closed naturally, but you lost a lot of blood in the process."

"It must've been when that damn krogan charged me. Now I _really_ wish I could kill him again." Anderson merely nodded in understanding. "Is she ok? Corporal Morgan, I mean."

"Absolutely. She has requested to be transferred to the new Alliance presence we will be establishing on Elysium." He paused and looked down on Shepard again, a proud smile playing on his lips. "It is a hell of a thing you managed down there, Shepard. You managed to keep the entire safe without a single fatality."

"Not true, sir. That entire security team was slain, as well as all the people in the docking area. Dumas said there was at least one fatality in the ambush at the recruitment center as well." She frowned despite the pain it caused in her tight blistered skin.

"You are a soldier, Shepard. You know you can't save them all. The thing is, you did more than anyone thought possible. Think of all the innocents you _did_ save." He smiled gently as he patted her right arm above the cast.

"Now I think I need to let you get some rest before the doctors chase me out."

* * *

It seemed that fate found the one thing that managed to drive Shepard crazy even faster than forced shore leave: an extended hospital stay. They had her attached to several machines to make sure she was healing properly. She was also fighting a nasty infection, thanks to the dirty earpiece she lifted from the first invader she found. As a result of her multiple injuries, she was stuck in bed for almost a week.

Shepard originally tried to keep herself occupied by watching vids, but every other story seemed to feature her. Someone got a hold of the video she sent across the warning system, and it was being looped on every network. She had to admit, the image was a stark contrast to the stereotypical war hero: her green eyes danced with passion under one busted eyebrow, her now-blonde hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, freckles standing brightly across her nose and cheekbones - she looked more like a tourist ad (minus the bloody brow). She found it ironic that the image she created to hide behind while on shore leave was now being broadcast to the far corners of the galaxy.

It had surprised her that it was still a story since the galaxy seemed to have a ten-minute attention span, but the events of Elysium had captured a lot of attention. The media even went as far as giving the skirmish a dramatic media-friendly name: the Skyllian Blitz. Over the course of the week the story morphed into a grand tale with Shepard single-handedly holding off the entire invading force. It made her sick to her stomach that they were heaping all the praise on her alone. Eventually she decided to avoid all media.

Shepard had dozed off while reading an old book one of the nurses managed to hunt down for her. The book was open face-down on her chest so she wouldn't lose her place. It was a light sleep, so she woke with a start when she felt the book move. Her hand shot out to grab it before it fell, but found it being held aloft by a strong hand. Her eyes opened to find a scarred older face looking down on her.

"Dad? What are you doing here? I'm sure you have more important things to do than watch me sleep."

He laughed, but there was a slight bitterness behind it. Shepard hadn't meant to upset him with her remark; she knew he was a busy man with a lot on his plate. It came with being a high-ranking officer of the Alliance. That was something her mom taught her from a very young age to explain his absence.

"I'm here on official business. I came to inform you that you are being awarded the Star of Terra for your courageous and distinguished service going above and beyond the call of duty. There will be a ceremony once you are in better condition."

Shepard was stunned into silence.

"There is one hitch, though - and this comes from the top: there is to be no mention of your biotics."

Shepard snapped her head towards his voice, tangling a few cords and knocking a sensor loose in the process. The machine made repetitive loud beeps in protest. A nurse came hustling in within a matter of seconds to investigate.

"Ah, a loose electrode. That's an easy fix. OH!" The nurse snapped to attention when her eyes fell on the older man in the room. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't see you there."

"At ease." He offered the ruffled nurse a small nod before continuing. "I need a few more minutes in here, then you can have our war hero all to yourself."

The nurse practically tripped over her own feet trying to leave the room as soon as possible. His blue eyes twinkled with amusement. He had always found it funny that people were so nervous around him. Shepard's eyes were narrowed on her father's grizzled face when he turned back to her.

"You told me it was a gift, not a curse. You even chastised me when I refused to use it. Why do I have to hide it now?"

"It's not my choice. You should already know that." He paused and sighed deeply before continuing. "Enlistments are at a near-record high, and it is because of you. You did the impossible. You, the tiny little blonde girl on vacation." Shepard winced at the mention of her new hair color, but her father continued on.

"Unfortunately, there is still a lot of fear of biotics." Shepard opened her mouth to speak, but her father held out his hand to silence her so he could carry on. "It comes from ignorance, I know. However, those at the top are afraid enlistment numbers will drop if the truth gets out. Please go with it. For me."

Shepard nodded mutely and looked away. Her father took this as the dismissal it was and stood to leave.

"I'm proud of you sparky bear." He kissed the top of her head lightly and left.

Shepard didn't even get a moment to catch her breath before the nurse came back in.

"Wow. It must be pretty amazing to get Captain Hackett to come visit you personally."

"Yeah, I guess so," Shepard mumbled before looking away.


	10. Chapter 10

**I think I will have one more chapter after this. I hope it still holds up!**

Shepard's stay in the hospital had been overwhelmingly lonely. Her family and friends were all Alliance and had jobs to do, especially in the wake of such a blatant attack on a human colony. This left her with plenty of time to consider everything her father had said in his visit. The Alliance wanted to reward her for going above and beyond the call of duty, but they were covering up her biotics - an integral part of her and a key component to their success. It wasn't until she fully accepted that part of herself that she was able to be the soldier Elysium needed, and now she was being asked to hide it yet again.

She laid quietly, eyes closed, thinking about what was being offered to her and asked of her in return. The door swished quietly open, alerting her that someone entered, but she didn't move. She was trying to work through her thoughts and emotions. It was most likely just hospital staff, anyway. They were the only visitors she got. She focused on the quiet discussion taking part just inside her doorway, welcoming a bit of a distraction.

"... been here over a week. As you can see on her chart, she is a biotic. That information is not to leave this room, though. Understood?" Shepard recognized this as the voice of the nurse who was so struck by Hackett's presence.

"Yes, ma'am." This second voice sounded much younger, and slightly intimidated. This was probably her first professional position.

"She came in with the other human female biotic after the attack. The same precautions should be used when around both patients. We still don't know for sure if they are capable of reading or controlling minds, so be on guard at all times."

"Yes, ma'am. Understood, ma'am." The second voice was shaky after this warning. The door swished again and the voices grew faint as they moved on to another room.

Shepard was momentarily frozen while she processed what she had just heard. The hospital was warning staff to be on guard around the biotic patients out of fear and ignorance, and that broke her heart. Even after everything she did to save a colony she was still feared. Perhaps even more so now that the media said she did it alone. She pushed that aside and focused on the other information: there was another biotic woman brought in after the attack. _I should go check on her_ she though as she slowly sat up.

Shepard had been removed from her monitors shortly after Hackett's visit. This allowed her free movement, which was something she had missed greatly; being tied to a bed drove her nuts. She shrugged a robe over her hospital gown to try to keep some modesty intact before venturing out of the confines of her room.

Shepard had been mildly shocked and immensely relieved when she finally laid eyes on the other human biotic: she was the woman who had been laying in a pool of blood after the grenade hit the barricade, and she appeared to be little more than a child. The young woman's eyes widened in surprise as Shepard walked in, pulling away briefly to glance at a vid playing on the monitor and then back, recognition plain on her face.

"You... you're Shepard, aren't you?" Her voice was full of awe. Shepard just smiled and nodded.

* * *

It was several hours before Shepard made it back to her own room. She was tired from being up and around for so long, but she had important business to conduct before she rested. She activated her Omni-tool and contacted Alliance HQ directly, a cheery secretary answered immediately.

"I need to speak to Captain Hackett."

"I'm sorry, ma'am. He is not available for direct contact. Please go through the proper channels." The forced cheer in the secretary's voice barely covered the condescension. Shepard sighed and put on her most diplomatic face she could muster.

"This is Corporal Shepard. This is in regards to his personal visit the other day. I need to speak with him." The secretary paled and uttered a rushed apology before putting the call through.

"Shepard, what can I do for you?" Hackett looked worried that she was contacting him directly.

"I want to discuss what you told me in your visit." He opened his mouth as if to interrupt, but she talked right over him, afraid she would lose her nerve if she didn't spit it all out at once.

"I promised I would go with the request of the Alliance command, and I intend to honor that. I do have a counter-request, though. The Alliance needs to do more for biotics. I just spent several hours with one of the people wounded during Blitz. She is a young biotic who volunteered to fight for her colony and nearly lost her life in the process. She never received proper training to harness her abilities. She relied on instinct and what she had figured out on her own." Her green eyes met the cold blue eyes on the other side of the vid link.

"As you are aware, BAaT closed down nearly a decade ago, and the Alliance has not filled the void. If families aren't able to afford the private firms' prices or provide tutors like mine did," she paused pointedly, watching his expression before continuing, "then they are left untrained. They can pose a threat to themselves in that state, as you may well know." Hackett stood with one hand thoughtfully over his mouth, willing her to continue.

"I think we have shown the benefits of having biotics working with other soldiers. This is an opportunity the Alliance can't let slip away."

"I see your point Corporal. I will see what I can accomplish on this front." A small smile played across his scarred face. "That is a very diplomatic solution. I am sure you make your parents very proud."

"Thank you, sir." Shepard was just about to cut the call when Hackett's voice stopped her short.

"And if the War Hero of the Skillian Blitz were to commend the biotic support, I am sure that would go a long way to easing some prejudice. Even if said hero isn't technically a biotic." He winked slyly at Shepard, seemingly enjoying the shocked look his last comment got.

"I will be in contact, Shepard." With that, the call ended.

* * *

There was a transport ready to whisk Shepard away to Alliance Command in Vancouver as soon as she was released from the hospital. She had been kept in much longer than was medically necessary, but the Alliance wanted to make sure she was fully healed before her formal introduction to the galaxy. _Apparently a blistery and scabby face doesn't play well on the vids_ she thought wryly. As it was, they had her scheduled for several hours of prep before the actual ceremony.

A very perky young blonde woman met Shepard at the transport and escorted her to a large suite. This was to be the base of operations, trying to get Shepard media-ready. She was shocked by the sheer number of people gathered in that suite. The blonde woman rushed through introductions, but Shepard missed almost all of them. She felt overwhelmed and completely out of her element. She was led to a chair in front of a large lit mirror and a small team of people descended on her immediately. The whir of activity left her almost claustrophobic, so she closed her eyes and just let it all happen.

Shepard found it difficult to keep her head straight with people yanking on her hair from every direction. A haughty voice in the background seemed to be directing the flurry of activity. She opened her eyes to find the person behind the voice, only to see something very sharp and shiny coming straight for her eyes. She jumped violently, getting several dramatic sighs from the crowd around her in return.

"Just sit still. I swear, it is like you never put makeup on before." The haughty voice was directly behind her now.

"I've never used anything that scary looking before, mom. And I kill things for a living."

"Don't be so dramatic, dear. If you took the time to look after your appearance better we wouldn't have so much work to do now."

"Funny, I've never heard any complaints from the people I was saving."

"That's because they were too thankful to be alive to look at you properly. You could be so pretty if you just tried a little."

"Thanks mom. I really appreciate that backhanded compliment."

"Oh sweetie, don't be like that. I just want the best for you." Hannah Shepard finally stepped up behind her daughter and hugged her back, looking at their reflections in the mirror. The family resemblance was startling.

"I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the hospital while you were recovering. We were handling some pirate attacks along the Skillian Verge that appear to have been retaliation for your successful repulsion at Elysium. It kept us busy until, that is for sure." Shepard just waved away the excuse; none was needed.

"I'm glad you are here now."

"Me too. Although, I am here on official business, too. I have been recruited by the powers that be to keep you in line." Hannah winked at her daughter. "I have also been given a few things to deliver to you. Here you go." With that, Shepard was handed a data pad and a box.

Shepard took the box first, unable to resist the temptation. She saw her name scrawled across the top in Anderson's chicken scratch, and she couldn't help but smile. There was a hand-written note inside on top of a confusing duo: a new amp and sunscreen. She looked to the note for explanation.

_Shepard, since they are determined to keep your exceptional abilities a secret, you should be able to use that to your advantage. These are a few things you will need when you report to N-School in Rio next month. Congrats, kid. You earned it. Now do me proud. And don't forget the sunscreen. I saw what you looked like after one day in the Elysium sun._

_Anderson_


	11. Chapter 11

**This is the final chapter in this story... I think. I really can't thank all you reviewers enough, as well as all the follows and favorites. I am not sure where I am going from here, but I will try to figure it out soon. Let me know what you think!**

Shepard looked up from the gift box in her lap, face pale and eyes wide. The note from Anderson shook uncontrollably in her hand. The elder Shepard watched her daughter carefully, one eyebrow quirked in both question and concern.

"Did you know about this, mom?" Shepard's green eyes were still wide with shock. She handed the letter over when her mother shook her head.

Shepard ignored the flurry of activity going on around her, focused on her mother's face as she read Anderson's note. Both eyebrows shot up in surprises and a huge smile spread across the proud mother's face almost instantly.

"This is wonderful, sweetheart! You deserve this." She looked back to her daughter excitedly, but her mood quickly dropped when she saw the look on her daughter's face. The younger Shepard was shaking her head 'no', and refused to look up.

"I don't deserve this. Any of this. I was just in the right place at the right time."

"Don't be silly; you did something amazing: you held off an entire army without a single casualty."

"That isn't true." Shepard's voice was barely more than a whisper. "A lot of people died. I wasn't fast enough to save them."

"Alright, everyone out of the room. I need a few moments with my daughter." Every single person in the room immediately stopped their activity and left without hesitation.

"Now, how are you really doing? I am asking as your mother, and I will know if you aren't being completely honest with me." She placed a hand under her daughter's chin and forced their eyes to meet. "You look like you need to talk. I am here to listen. No judgment."

"I hate this, mom. I hate the position I am being placed in, and I didn't ask for any of it. I just did what I had to." Hannah leaned in and put an arm around her daughter.

"I know honey. Nobody really asks for this. Well, some do, but they are never the ones who can handle it when they get it. You will be able to handle this."

"I don't know about that, mom. I just... I feel so isolated. I don't know how else to put it. Everywhere I look, I see a bastardized version of me looking back. Everyone knows my name... well, my last name at least, and yet I have never felt so alone in my life. I... I feel like a giant baby, and you don't need to listen to me throw a tantrum." She tried to pull away, suddenly aware of how raw these emotions were and afraid to give voice to them. Her mom just sat there waiting for her to continue, hazel eyes full of love and understanding.

"I guess I was surprised that nobody came to visit me while I was recovering. And hurt. The rational part of my mind knew that you were all busy with your jobs, but I didn't even get any flowers or cards or anything. All my friends were just not there anymore. Even the hospital staff avoided me. They were afraid I would read their minds, or control them, or something else just as crazy. And then dad comes and tells me I have to hide that I am a biotic because it would hurt recruiting... "

"Shhhh. Calm down. Your working yourself up, and you don't want to put any strain on your implant yet. I read the doctor's orders." Hannah gave a knowing look to her daughter with the last statement.

"That is part of the military life. You chose this path, and I told you it was going to be hard. You just have to learn not to take it all personally." Hannah paused as she looked at her daughter, as if she were trying to decide how to proceed, before she continued. "I know exactly how you feel. I went through that when I was pregnant with you." Shepard looked up in mild surprise, waiting for her mother to continue.

"It was a huge scandal, you know. We were deployed for several months before I became pregnant, so there was no question some rules were broken. The top brass offered leniency if I named your father so we could both be punished equally, but I refused. He had a promising career ahead of him, and I didn't want to jeopardize that. They couldn't force me to answer, so they kept me under close observation to try to figure it out on their own. I had to keep your father away from me - us - to protect him. Many people I had considered friends avoided me too, afraid to get pulled into the scandal. When all was said and done, I only had the young doctor on the ship to talk to. I honestly think she was the only person keeping me sane at the time. It was the loneliest I have even been, but it was worth it."

"I'm sorry. I... I didn't know I caused so much trouble for you." Shepard was in shock from all her mother just shared.

"Don't be ridiculous! You didn't have any say in the matter, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat." She put a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"Now, about the biotic thing... I think you will want to read this."

Hannah picked up the data pad and placed it in her daughter's lap. Shepard eyed the pad suspiciously before she picked it up and activated it. Her eyes skimmed the contents, unsure of what she was supposed to be seeing. There was a short media transcript with a note across the top.

_Shepard, this is in regards to our discussion the other day. The Alliance is mandating retraining of all military staff, including but not limited to hospital staff, in regards to treatment of biotics, effective immediately. Also, an agreement has been reached with Jon Grissom after our last discussion. I hope this will fill the void you mentioned. Note the location of the project, it is not a coincidence. -Hackett_

Under the note was a press release on the commission of Jon Grissom Academy, a school for talented youth that was to be placed in a space station over Elysium. Her eyes kept going back to the same phrase: "to serve a student population demonstrating excellence and passion for math, science and the liberal arts." Shepard read the press release several times with confusion, not understanding what this academy had to do with her or her discussion with her father.

"I do know about this one." Hannah smiled as she spoke up once she noticed her daughter's confusion. "Your father briefed me on this when he gave me the data pad. The Academy's main program will be the Ascension Project - a human biotics training program. The Alliance is working _with_ civilians on this. And the biotics will be integrated into society once they are properly trained."

Shepard skimmed the press release again, now understanding the hidden meaning to the report. The Alliance was working to make things better for people like her. She was suddenly overwhelmed with it all. Tears pooled dangerously in her eyes.

"Don't you start crying on me. You will ruin your makeup before we are even finished, and we don't have time to start over." And just like that, the military woman was back, replacing Hannah Shepard the mother. Shepard hiccupped a laugh at it all.

The actual ceremony was a blur to Shepard. She had been instructed to wait backstage as one of the top admirals introduced her. She fidgeted nervously as she waited, even more so once she realized her emergency alert was playing mutely in the background the entire time. She found it impossible to concentrate on the monotone dribble the older man was spewing, especially since it was peppered with words like "single-handed" and "no casualties". She had half a mind to walk away when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I thought you could use a little encouragement soldier." Hackett's blue eyes danced as they landed on his daughter's face.

"Sir! I didn't think you would be able to make it." Shepard was always careful when addressing her father in public; you never knew who was listening.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world. I had to call in a few favors, but it was worth it. Officially, I am here to make sure you stick with the authorized story: you are an amazing soldier who single-handedly held off a massive enemy army."

"Nobody would really buy that I did that all by myself, sir."

"They already do. I know you, though: you won't take all the credit. I am unofficially going to remind you that your infamous emergency alert vid - the one they are playing at this very moment - was a call to arms. It may look bad if nobody were to answer that call. Just saying." He winked mischievously before smiling genuinely.

"You made us proud. Now go get the recognition you deserve." He clapped his hand affectionately on her shoulder one more time before pushing her gently on stage.


End file.
